Be Prepared, Never Scared: Tsunami

Tsunamis – or the threat of tsunamis – have been in the news a lot recently, with tsunami warnings issued from as far away as Alaska and South America.

As a result of a 7.6 magnitude earth quake in Honduras at 11:00 p.m. on the night of January 9, 2018, the island of Puerto Rico was placed on a tsunami warning. We are still recuperating form hurricane Maria’s hit on September 20, 2017. At 3:00 a.m. on January 10, 2018 people were still trying to travel to higher ground with a back-pack and their loved ones. Praise The Most Highs, the tsunami did not hit the shore.

We were grocery shopping on January 16, 2018 and we saw the front page of the San Juan Star newspaper displayed at the cash register. The article was urging the island people to get to know their tsunami evacuation routes. Exactly 100 years ago on October 11, 1918, Puerto Rico experienced earthquake San Cirian, which brought a tsunami that entered the western part of the island.

In 2011, Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant was damaged by a tsunami, which caused tons of radioactive material and debris to spill into our oceans.

And the world won’t soon forget the devastating effects of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami that claimed the lives of over 220,000 people.

But what is a tsunami? What causes the event?

Tsunami is a Japanese word that means harbour wave. In English it’s known as a tidal wave or seismic sea wave. In Spanish, a tsunami is also known by the word maremoto. Mar is the Spanish word for sea. A tsunami is manifested via a displacement of a large amount of water in a lake or ocean. This in turn causes a reaction of a series of waves that can be very impressive in altitude, speed and length.

What are the disturbances that could potentially provoke tsunami waves?

Meteorite Impacts

Glacier Calvings

Landslides

Volcanic Eruptions

Earthquakes

Nuclear Bombs. Yes, tsunami waves can also be man-made!

Tsunami facts:

One single tsunami wave can travel as far as 120 miles, go as high as 30 to 50 feet tall and travel at a speed up to 500 miles. Tsunamis could be very deadly. In the same way that we recommend you to create a hurricane and earthquake preparedness plan, you should be prepared for a tsunami event as well. Be even more prepared if you live in any coastal areas. Be Prepared and Never Scared.

Sound waves, water waves, any type of wave consist of a positive and a negative peak. Tsunamis can arrive first by either a ridge (the positive peak) or a drawback (the negative peak). If the ridge arrives first, a sudden flooding effect will be experienced.

In a drawback, the waters will start to dramatically recede, exposing the ground and leaving many fish stranded on the ground. This sight can be so shocking that most people stay watching in awe, putting their lives at risk. The drawback can last up to a period of 13 minutes until the first major wave hits the shore, wiping everything on its way with Mama Nature’s destructive force.

If you ever experience a drawback or hear a tsunami alarm, it’s no time to stare or even go fishing like some people have been reported to do! This is the time to travel away to higher ground as fast as you can, or if not, go into a building 5 floors high or taller. Whatever you do, try to get as high up as you can. Get to your vehicle as quickly as possible, and never travel parallel to the coast line, but move away from the shore. Also if you are at the coast line and experience an earthquake, that is the time to leave! Why wait for the drawback?

Consider the following factors to be better prepared:

Are you about to relocate? You choose where you live, so be aware of the existing risks in regard to natural disaster preparedness. Having an ocean view is soul food, but nevertheless, you cannot underestimate the possibility of a tsunami happening in your area.

Know your elevation and know what to do just in case. There are many phone applications that you can download for free to check the elevation in your home and work area. Keep a track of global deep earthquakes and specially the ones that surround your area.

In our particular case, we live at Puerto Rico. Not at zero feet elevation from the ocean though (we live 265 feet above sea level, and it takes us about 18 minutes to arrive to the nearest beach). Tsunami wise, we feel a lot safer living close to the beach but not right there! We visit the beach frequently and in our heads we have practiced what to do in case we see or feel any risk.

Basic survival precautions before and after the tsunami:

Store as much water as you can and have a filter to purify it (allocate at least 1 gallon per person per day).

Have enough food storage for at least 3 months. Most disaster preparedness articles recommend food storage for three days, others for two weeks but that is not enough! The safer, the better. The more prepared, the less scared.

Have a back-pack ready with a bottle of water, some snacks, a flashlight and batteries, a radio to hear what’s going on, a change of clothes and a first-aid kit.

Have a camping stove with enough gas to cook your food, boil water etc.

Have a power plant or portable generator if you can, with enough diesel & gasoline for both your generator and your vehicle gas tank.

Keep Calm! Stay centered. Do not feed on the panic of the masses.

Do not go outside unless absolutely necessary.

Look at the sky more often! Look at was going on around the world with these crazy weather patterns.

My people will perish for lack of knowledge – Noble Drew Ali. Get in tune with the real news and be prepared, never scared. The Most Highs children will be safe. Not a single hair on your head will be touched according to them sacred scriptures.